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Topic Review (Newest First)

03-01-2012 12:04 AM

skip11

Thanks a lot for the tips. Will practice it and definitely improve my riding

02-29-2012 11:44 PM

AAA

Looks good. You've got some solid fundemental carving skills down. Now it's time to step it up a notch. The rising up in transition (cross-over) carves you've got going on is great for the straight down the fall line carving you're doing on gentler slopes. Work it a little harder, with more leg compression at the apex of the carve (sink "into" the carve / bend the knees more), and with earlier, more full extension coming off the carve. Also, it would be good to see the toeside carve initiated more with the knees (knees lunging towards ground) and heelsides led with the hips, and less with upper body guidance. Tilt the board's edge angle higher, as well. In that hero snow, it will easily hold and you'll carve tighter. Also, keep the upper body more vertical, especially on those toesides. Try to only allow your upper body to dip towards the snow if you're knees start actually hitting the snow. Overall, try to ride lower, with more knee bend. There's a bit of trailing arm flapping going on, which you'll settle down. No biggie.

Now, if you're using that same stand up/cross-over technique on steeps or ice, that's where you'll run into trouble, as you won't be able to control your speed. So, start working on the opposite; dropping your upper body in the transitions (cross unders), and extending your legs at the apex of the carve. Your body overall will be much lower to the ground. At the same time, start riding your carves out more fully, perpendicular to the fall line. For practice, make a point not to change edges until your board comes dead across the fall line. That will 1) control your speed more, and 2) teach you to confidentently roll onto your downhill edge when it is straight across the fall line (something you tried desperately to avoid when you were first learning to ride). Start trying to set your downhill edge and initiating carves as early, quickly, and hard as you can as you're going across the fall line. Turn intiation at the top of the carve is a key to controlling speed on steeps (at least without resorting to skidding or falling leaves).

Once you've got that, step it up again, and in the transitions, not only drop your upper body, but simultaneously relax your knees to raise your board / bring it in closer to you (cross-through). You'll basically "suck your body in" through the transitions. That is the fastest way to change edges in a carve, and it becomes very versatile. On the steeps, you'll ride your carves out across the fall line and make fast cross-through edge changes to manage your speed. On flatter runs, you can open up the carve and ride more down the fall line. If you thought cross-overs were snappy, wait until you fall-line carve with cross-throughs! You're letting the board provide the rebound now instead of pumping with your legs. Often when you relax your knees in fall line carving transitions, they'll literally come up to your chest and you'll catch air, along with a sense of weightlessness. You'll need to extend them fully just to grab purchase again, before you sink down going into the next carve. Fun stuffs becomes funner stuffs as you improve, but it does become become more exerting and even a workout. You're gettin' it. Now just keep workin' at it 'till you got it.

02-29-2012 02:32 PM

sabatoa

I grab my junk with my back hand while I ride to keep it from mystery dating.

/may or may not be accurate. (it is)

02-29-2012 09:23 AM

Leo

Quick tip to get rid of your hand swinging. I had the same issue a few seasons ago. Keep your hands on your thighs as you ride and you'll get rid of that habit very quickly. It will also reveal if you actually have any balancing problems at all or if it's just in your head that you think you'll lose balance.

Also, while your carves look good, your transitions are aggressive. I like to get aggressive too at times especially on steeper runs. Try working on quick fluid transitions now.

Snowolf will be able to explain the mechanics in detail. The only way I can describe it is to imagine that you are trying to balance an egg in the middle of the board. You want quick fluid transitions that won't throw the egg off. My friend said I look like a fish when doing this technique

02-28-2012 09:47 PM

srdeo

you look too hunched over on your hillside. Try to keep your body 90 degree to the ground. It will give you more edge pressure and hold the carve better. Same thing on toe side with your legs bent at 90 degrees try to keep you body perpendicular to the ground.

You can try it inside first. kneel infront of a wall on your knees with legs bent at 90 degrees. Put both hands against the wall and you should be able to lift your knees of the ground few inches. you should be able to feel how much more pressure you are putting on your toes

you can also try on heelside. have your back flat against the wall and have your feet couple of feet in front with your waist bent at 90 degree (knees bent slightly)

Also on your heelside you can open up more with your front shoulder (in your case right shoulder). By open up i mean your right shoulder will be turned over your heel side edge (your upper torso is turned right), not parallel to your board (which is what you are doing now).

Hope it helps

02-24-2012 04:39 PM

Nefarious

I can't wait to try this. Thanks aiidoneus!

02-24-2012 04:01 PM

aiidoneus

The pop is even weight both feet. But not like a normal, non-strapped in jump. You don't want to leep off your toes. The idea is to keep the ankles locked in that hard carve position, and use the rest of you body to pop.

I recommend doing them in order. It is one thing to pop up, and land. It is another thing to pop and land on edge. For example, in the first drill my first two hops I made the mistake of looking at my board. This means my weight is past the edge, and when I landed I slid a little.

The level 3 instructors are awesome at the last drill, very smooth. They land instantly into a nice edge and keep carving away.

For me, the toesides I could land and already have a nice edge to ride away with. The heelside I still slide a slight bit before I get my edge. My issue here is with my ankles, I keep popping using my ankle and toes. This causes my edge angle to be less. Less edge, less chance of landing a good carve. However, after doing the drill my normal heelsides were so much better, much easier to lock my ankles so I could get a lot more edge.

02-24-2012 03:43 PM

skip11

@aiido: So I basically hop (with both feet like popping?) for and edge change and after changing edge it should lock right in? Seems an interesting drill, will try it out.

02-24-2012 03:24 PM

aiidoneus

I did some good drills last night with a level 3 instructor during session. To help improve the heelside carving, we first did the following:

1) Point down the hill to get some speed
2) come to a complete stop on heelside
3) Hop back up the hill
4) Repeat

The key here is to make sure you are/have

- Balanced
- Locked ankles
- Hop comes from knees, hips and above

It really helps show some of the heelside weakness. We did this on a steeper part of a blue run. You can also do this for toeside, but keep in mind toeside will be easier.

Second drill was for both edges:

1) Start carving down the hill
2) As you traverse the hill, hop

If you arn't landing back in your edge nicely something is off, stance, not enough edge, looking down at your board.

Third drill was the same as above, except instead of hoping while traversing. You hop during the edge change. So you hop from heel edge to toe edge, traverse, hop toe to heel, repeat.

02-24-2012 12:40 PM

skip11

Bump for Snowolf.

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